Cathedral of Prince St. Vladimir

Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Religious Architecture (see also Religion.Church)
Categories / Religion. Church/Places of Worship (see also Architecture and Urban Planning)
CATHEDRAL OF PRINCE ST. VLADIMIR, (Dobrolyubova Avenue, 26 Blokhina Street), an architectural monument in a transitional style from Baroque to Classicism. The Cathedral is located on the so-called mokrushi, soggy, regularly flooded lowland. In 1708, the wooden Church of St Nicholas was constructed. In 1713-19, a brick Holy Assumption Church with three side-altars was built, which later acquired the status of a cathedral. In 1740, a stone church was built (architect M. G. Zemtsov, then P. A. Trezzini supervised the construction and completion of the building). In 1766-73, it was rebuilt according to the plans of architect A. Rinaldi. The main building was crowned with five large domes, pylons divided the interior into three naves, and the walls were sectioned off with Dorian pilasters. Close to the cathedral there is a three-tier stand-alone bell tower. The unfinished cathedral was damaged by the fires of 1772 and 1783-89 and rebuilt by architect I. E. Starov who remodelled the decor of the facades. In 1823, the gallery was built and the iconostasis was redesigned in the Empire style. In 1834, the cathedral passed to the Order of St Vladimir. In 1859-66, the side-altars were moved to the main altar. In 1872-73, a fence with two chapels was constructed (architect N. F. Brullo); in 1882-86 St. Alexander's Chapel onthe corner of Bolshoy Avenue of Petrogradskaya Side was added (architect N. N. Kovrigin). In 1926-27, the cathedral was temporarily closed, in 1938-41 it served as the metropolitan cathedral and the residence of the ruling metropolitan. From 1940 to 2001, the Cathedral housed the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan (today it is kept at Kazan Cathedral). In 1989, a jubilee medal was minted in honour of the bicentenary of the cathedral.

References: Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994. Т. 1. С. 94-96.

V. V. Antonov. Bryullov Nikolay Fedorovich
Kovrigin (Kavrigin) Nikolay Nikolaevich
Rinaldi Antonio
Starov Ivan Egorovich
Trezzini Pietro Antonio
Zemtsov Mikhail Grigorievich
Blokhina St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 26
Bolshoy Ave of Petrograskaya Storona/Saint Petersburg, city
Dobroliubova Avenue/Saint Petersburg, city
Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994 Baroque
Neoclassicism
Kazan Cathedral